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The epidemic of violence against women and girls (VAWG) directly impacts policing, with an estimated 2,959 crimes recorded daily. From April 2022 to March 2023, VAWG offending accounted for almost 20% of all police recorded crime; the Metropolitan Police received
on average 24 reports of rape per day in 2023.
In 2018, rape charges fell to the lowest recorded levels, with less than two percent of reported rapes resulting in a charge. Reported offences still do not provide the full picture of gender-based violence, as police recorded 194,434 sexual offences in the year ending June 2024, yet the Office for National Statistics estimated that 1.1 million people aged 16 or over experienced sexual assault.
Operation Soteria aims to address this with the following principles:
- Victim-centred – victims’ rights and interests inform investigator decision making
- Suspect-focused – specialist knowledge about sexual offending behaviour and its impact on victims informs investigation and prevention strategies
- Context-led – investigators consider the context of the offence, suspect, and victim from the start of the investigation
We want to transform the police response to rape and serious sexual offences (RASSO) and provide better outcomes and procedural justice for all, relentlessly pursuing perpetrators.
The Soteria journey began in 2021, when Professors Betsy Stanko and Katrin Hohl, with a team of over 50 academics, led a deep dive in Avon and Somerset Constabulary. Known then as Operation Bluestone, the research approach taken between police and academics necessitated policing truly opening their doors to academia and allowing them full access to people and material. The honesty and transparency of officers and staff involved enabled the breadth and depth of the research.
Following this, we developed the National Operating Model (NOM) with over 90 products to support policing to drive improvements in RASSO investigations.
The learning from Operation Soteria has supported the implementation of the NOM, with new learning material co-designed by the Soteria academics, the College of Policing, and the National Police Chiefs Council. This training supports the effective delivery of the NOM.
Continuous Professional Development is built into the NOM to underpin the learning. The current guidance supported by the Operation Soteria Joint Unit helps operational investigators and leaders to better understand the NOM, and how the products help officers deliver the investigators’ journey with confidence. This learning is imperative to improve justice outcomes and the experiences of victims and officers.
At the beginning of 2024, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) conducted an inspection into a selection of pathfinder and expansion forces. Their report, published in August 2024, described Soteria as a ‘game changer’ that is enabling a victim-centred culture. HMICFRS evaluation and our own insights identified the cultural change in officers’ attitudes and how they are applying the Soteria principles. Officers have improved awareness of offender behaviour and forces have a deeper understanding of targeting repeat suspects and identifying high-risk, high-harm offenders.
The NOM focuses on the supervisor role, introducing critical reflection, guidance on case numbers, and the importance of meaningful supervision time with officers. It also encourages the use of early Crown Prosecution Service advice and promotes best practice in digital investigations, investigation strategies, and parameters for third party material. We have seen improved supervision and investigation standards in RASSO cases.
Without any legislative changes, charge rates have more than trebled to 7% and are now the highest since 2017. We believe the true figure is higher, considering the significant backlog of cases awaiting charging decisions. This shows the impact of Operation Soteria, although there is still more to do to increase charge rates.
We also know we still need to do more to improve victims’ experiences, focus on suspects and the context around their offending, and tackle archaic views. This requires us welcoming scrutiny and ‘lifting the stones’ to understand what we need to improve. As well as improving officer training and culture, we also need to look after the wellbeing of our staff.
Operation Soteria sets new standards in the fight against gender-based violence, ensuring that the voices of victims are heard and respected. It provides our staff with the right skills, knowledge, and attitude to make a difference through a victim-centred, suspect focused and context-led approach. Soteria creates a supportive ecosystem for organisations to successfully respond to RASSO, but most importantly, it is making a positive difference to victims.
This article was originally published in Issue 45 of Learning the Lessons, the magazine by the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC), and is republished here with permission.
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The IOPC will be exhibiting at The Emergency Services Show, 17-18 September at the NEC in Birmingham, on Stand 5/D199.
